Fields of Innocence
by Twilight Archangel
Summary: Devimon, Myotismon, The Digimon Emperor, The Dark Ocean…Takeru Takaishi thinks he has lost his innocence, but maybe his innocence and his heart are closer than he think…or at least that’s what an “old” friend thinks… who? His inner child of course! Onesho


Hallo! I hope you guys like this one-shot.

**Note: The flashback scenes are based on the Spanish-Mexican/Japanese version.**

Summary: Devimon, Myotismon, The Digimon Emperor, The Dark Ocean…Takeru Takaishi thinks he has lost his innocence, but maybe his innocence and his heart are closer than he think…or at least that's what an "old" friend thinks…

* * *

_**Field of Innocence**_

_I still remember the world  
From the eyes of a child  
Slowly those feelings  
Were clouded by what I know now_

_Where has my heart gone?  
An uneven trade for the real world  
oh I...  
I want to go back to  
Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all_

_I still remember the sun  
Always warm on my back  
Somehow it seems colder now  
_

_Where has my heart gone?  
Trapped in the eyes of a stranger  
oh why...  
I want to go back to  
Believing in everything_

_Where has my heart gone?  
An uneven trade for the real world  
oh I...  
I want to go back to  
Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all_

_Where has my heart gone?  
Trapped in the eyes of a stranger  
oh why...  
I want to go back to  
Believing in everything_

_I still remember…_

* * *

The Darkness was amazing, there has been no darker night since that incident in Hikari Gaoka, when a dinosaur and a giant parrot fought in the city, almost ten years ago. Well…maybe…that other incident seven years ago, when the darkness covered the sky and the reflection of an unknown world appeared in the ceiling of the world… 

Anyway, that night was dark, even for an active city. The cars on the streets and the buildings lit the city. Actually, the city of Odiaba wasn't that dark…but the heart of a teenage boy.

Fifteen years old, tall, blond, blue eyes and the magnet of all the girls in the school, Takeru Takaishi walked towards his building. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, black jeans, his hand hidden in the pockets of the sweatshirt and he had the most shadowy expression on his face.

He arrived to the building, with his serious face; his eyes were cloudy and dull, showing his inner darkness. He got into the elevator, and hi saw the numbers change while he got up. After some seconds, the door opened in the fourth floor. He started to walk towards his apartment.

"T.K.?"

The teenage boy turned back, his hands still in his pockets. Takeru frowned.

"What do you want, Cody?"

Cody Hida, a thirteen year old boy, looked at him with resentful eyes. Cody had change a lot since the battle against MaloMyotismon, four years ago. He was taller, he grew out a lot, and he had combed his hair in a new style. But deep inside he was still the same Cody, more mature, but his personality didn't changed a lot. His sight towards Takeru was freezing.

"What's wrong with you?"

Takeru kept his cold glare, "You're the one who called me, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to know if you wanted to come over to dinner, with me", said Cody, without changing his sight.

"I've got better things to do"

Cody's look softened, "T.K., what's happening to you? You used to be so happy, but now you're cold. I'm worried about you; we are all worried about you"

Takeru send him an icy glare and turned his back on him, then he continued walking towards his apartment, "This is who I am now, get used to it Iori"

Cody watched as his friend walked, giving him his back, towards his apartment. Cody's eyes became crystalline, and he watched in pain as his DNA digivolution partner walked away, saying to the world to get away from him…

Takeru inserted the key and opened the door, getting into his living room. He started walking towards his room until he heard his mom's voice.

"T.K., how was your day?"

Takeru didn't stop, and while he entered his room, he answered. "If it was good or bad, it's not your business"

Nancy Takaishi took a step out of the kitchen and heard his son close the door of his room, her eyes started to water, and a few tears started to drop. _Oh, T.K., what has happened to you?_

Takeru lay in his bed, without bothering to change his clothes. He saw the call recorder beeping red, in the nightstand. With a grunt, he pushed the button to hear his messages.

"Message 1: Hey T.K., it's me Kari, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies with Davis, Yolei, Ken, Cody and me tomorrow afternoon. It's been a while since we last got out, call me. Kisses, Kari"

Takeru gave out a small cynical laugh, and said to himself: "Yeah, sure, as if I wanted to go out with you"

"Message 2: Hallo T.K., its Matt, hey, it's been a while since we last saw each other. Would you like to go out for dinner with mom, dad and me? We haven't spent time together in a while; it would be nice if we go out for dinner once in a while. Call me, bye"

Once again, he laughed to himself, "You wish Matt, I'm not looking forward spending time with our pathetic excuse of a family"

Takeru lay in his bed for a long while, thinking to himself. Then he heard a very childish voice, "T.K.?"

Takeru frowned, his digimon partner, Patamon, just woke up from his nap. The young man turned to his left to see the small orange digimon, who looked at him with eyes of happiness.

"You're here, I'm glad to see you, T.K." The small digimon smiled with the most pure innocence, yet, the young man acted cold towards his partner.

"Leave me alone, Patamon, go back to sleep", he said coldly.

Patamon put the saddest expression; he got up and flew towards the door. "T.K., I don't know what's going on with you, you used to be a happy and cheerful kid, full of hope and kindness" He paused a bit, "But now you are cold, and you show no affection to others…what happened with your heart? We all miss the old T.K., do you think you could go back the way you were before?"

Takeru looked away again, "Get used to who I am now, there is nothing you can do to change me, if I am cold and uncaring it's my problem, so go away and leave me alone"

Patamon, with teary eyes, turned away and got out of the room. Takeru shut the door and lay down on the bed once again; he spread his legs and arms and looked to the ceiling.

_Why is everybody getting on my case today? If I'm cold and uncaring it's my problem, not theirs…Besides, they make it look as if it was some kind of a crime…as if I did something terrible, but I have done nothing, they only want to make me feel bad…but guess what? You are not going to make it!_

With those thoughts, he closed his eyes and relaxed, trying to forget all the critics and trying to rest a bit, he was annoyed at everyone.

_Why am I feeling so cold? What if they're right? Can I really have lost my hope?... No! Those are just lies, they can't change who I am…I like __who I am now…Do I? Damn it! The only thing they do is confuse me! I better try to sleep._

Minute by minute he started to feel sleepy, his body started to relax, and he started to breathe slowly and deeply. Then he realized he was feeling a lot of cold. He shifted his position a bit, without opening his eyes. Then he fell asleep, but the feeling of darkness and cold just grew.

* * *

The coldness Takeru felt was unbearable, so he opened his eyes, searching for the blanket to cover himself. The moment he opened his eyes he was in shock. He was not in his room anymore. He was on a field. _It can't be!_

He stood up, the field was covered with a yellow grass, a bit too long, and it almost reached his knees. There were a lot of beautiful flowers of all colors. The place was beautiful, however, the sky was covered with black clouds, and the sun was impossible to see, just Darkness. A mist floated in the air.

Takeru was shaking, the environment was freezing, no wind. No sound. No…nothing, just darkness. Takeru hugged himself trying to warm himself. Yet, he was still freezing. He looked up to the sky, the black clouds covering it.

_This field is beautiful, but the dark sky covers it, that takes the beaut__y away…just an awful feeling of sadness and pain. Am I on the Digital World? No…the Digital World surely has weird environments, but no so dark and shadowy ones like this…_

Then a chill ran down his spine, and a great fear possessed him.

_Maybe I am…in the Dark World…the world where the Dark Ocean comes…yeah, that must be it. First Ken and then Kari were brought here because of the darkness in their heart…and now he brought me to this dark field._

_But, if I am in the Dark World…then why I'm not in the Dark Ocean? Just like Ken and Kari were taken. Why a place like this?_

Frightened, he started to walk through the grass and the flowers. He still hugged himself, the cold was getting worse every second, his teeth gritted and he could barely move. _It's amazing…Is there no exit from this place?_

He was now scared, really scared. He was afraid of get stuck in this sad and dark world. Then, the silence broke; he heard a very soothing sound. Laughs, Takeru got really confused.

_What's this? It sounds like laughs…the laughing of a little kid…But where they come from? How can there be laughs in this place? I must be hearing things…yeah, that must be it, I'm losing my mind…_

However, the laughing didn't stop, and Takeru realized he wasn't hallucinating. He started searching for the source of those laughing, desperately. He ran through the fields, it was hard to see with all that mist. _Where do they come from?!_

He stopped, the mist started to fade a little. Surprised, he looked to the sky again, it was still dark and cloudy, but now everything was more visible since the mist was gone.

_Why has it disappeared?_

He heard the laughing again, this time closer and clearer. The laughing started to somehow warm Takeru's heart, no matter how cold was the environment. He then saw the tall grass moving a few feet from him.

_Got cha! _

Takeru ran towards the moving grass, and as closer as he got, he saw that the grass started to get shorter, until it was a short grass that barely got to his ankles, and the flowers were a lot more beautiful.

As soon as he arrived, he was shocked, he found the source of the laughing. It was a small boy, no more than seven or eight years, he has khaki pants and a green sweatshirt. In his head he wore a huge green hat with a blue gem on the center, his hair was blond and his eyes were as blue as a sapphire.

_Impossible…_

In shock, he walked towards the boy, who was playing with a ball on the grass. Then he turned back to see Takeru, who was pale by now. The child smiled and got near him. Takeru, in shock, managed to ask. "But…you are…"

"Hi, my name is T.K., what is yours?"

Takeru, coming back to his senses and realizing he was talking to himself when he was eight years old, decided to answer the question, "My name is Takeru"

T.K. smiled at him, "How funny! We have the same name!"

Takeru smiled and he felt weird, it had been a while since had last smiled. He decided that he wouldn't reveal his true identity to the boy, "Yup, its funny"

Takeru sat on the grass, and T.K. sat beside him. T.K. was very small compared to him, T.K. was very short, and Takeru was tall because of basketball. Takeru stared at the boy for a moment.

"Hey, T.K., do you know where we are? Is this the Digital World?"

T.K. looked at him and shook his head, "Nope, this isn't the Digital World"

Takeru nodded and frowned, "Then we must be on the Dark World". T.K. looked at him in confusion, "The Dark World?"

Takeru looked down, avoiding the little one's eyes, "No…it was nothing, never mind". Takeru was afraid T.K. would ask more question, but the kid smiled.

"Okay"

Takeru breathed deep, at least little T.K. was naïve, and didn't suspect anything. _He is too young to know about the Dark World, I found out of it when I was twelve, then there is no way he knows, so I better keep my mouth shut._

Nevertheless, Takeru had a lot of questions in mind, "How long have you been here, T.K.?"

The little boy shrugged and sighed. His face was turned from happiness to sadness, "I'm not sure, I've been waiting a long time for someone to come, I've been so alone"

However, the little kid smiled to Takeru, "But now I'm not alone anymore, you're here with me!"

Takeru smiled, he removed the little one's hat, revealing his golden hair and ruffled his hair. "Then, you have no idea where we are or the way out?"

T.K. shook his head.

Takeru sighed and threw himself to the grass; he looked to the sky and watched the black clouds of Darkness. Takeru had to admit that he was scared, and he had strong motives to be. He was in an unknown place, probably the Dark World; he was cold, hungry…and was lying next to an eight year old counterpart of himself!

_Okay, there must be a way out of this place…but what the hell is this place? I don't think is the Digital World, it must be the Dark World. There must be a way out, if only I had my D-Terminal or my Digivice everything would be less complicated…but why am I here?_

"What are you thinking about?"

Takeru's thoughts were interrupted by the little kid, who crawled and got on top of him, covering his vision of the sky. Takeru sighed. _Lately I haven't had any patience to little kids…_

Takeru tried to smile, trying to not get annoyed by the interruption. He sat up in the grass again, and little T.K. did the same. Takeru looked to the smiling face of the kid, his face showed pure childish innocence; he looked like a little angel. Takeru sighed again.

"Nothing important, just things you would not understand" said Takeru.

T.K. stood up and jumped to Takeru's back and clung to it, and started laughing. Takeru grunted while the kid laughed happily. _Don't get mad…he is only eight. Try to stay clamed…_

"What kind of things?" asked the little one.

"Things like how annoying are the little kids!" answered Takeru.

T.K. clung on his neck and then jumped to the grass, laughing, "Don't be so boring!"

Takeru rubbed his neck and frowned, "Well, I wouldn't be if you didn't try to choke me!"

T.K. crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue at him, "You're no fun, you should laugh more!"

Takeru glared at him, "Give me reason"

T.K. just put a funny face and started to walk in a funny way, "Look! I'm a monster! Rawrrr!! I'm gonna eat you!". Takeru showed an exasperated expression. T.K. stopped his face and laughed, and then he walked by his side and sat, "You know, you're really boring!"

Takeru looked away, "How can you be so relaxed and happy if we are lost in a dark, cold and evil field?", T.K. Just played with the yellow grass, "To tell the truth, I was really scared, but then I found this ball and played with it. And now I'm not afraid anymore because you are here with me and you will protect me from evil…won't you?"

Takeru thought for a moment, "Yeah…"

"Besides, there is no Darkness that can hurt us if we protect ourselves with our inner Light" said the little one wisely.

Takeru laughed cynically, "Listen, there is no Light in this World, you are too young to understand, but the World is filled with pain, that's why there is no more Hope, sooner or later we all will become nothing, and we will lose everything we hold dear"

T.K. shock his head fiercely, "That is not true, life is more beautiful than you think"

Once again the young man laughed, "Yeah sure, life is beautiful, specially watching your best friend die before your eyes in order to save you" This time, Takeru finished with a sad voice, almost a whisper.

T.K.'s mask turned into a mask of sorrow too "I know what you mean, a friend of mine called Angemon sacrificed himself to save me from the evil Devimon, and I watched as he died before my eyes."

Takeru felt his eyes wet with tears, the memory of that day haunted him every night, in the shape of nightmares that never ended…

* * *

"_**Boom**__**Bubble Paw!"**_

"_**Boom Bubble Paw!"**_

"_**Boom Bubble Paw!"**_

_**The giant hand of Devimon got closer to Patamon, while tears f**__**ell from the eyes of the little digimon. T.K. covered himself.**_

"_**Patamon!" shouted the little kid.**_

"_**T.K.!" Patamon interfered and was taken within Devimon's grasp.**_

_**A Light started to shone, and T.K's **__**eyes stared in amazement.**_

"_**Patamon Digivolves **__**to…Angemon!"**_

"_**Patamon digi**__**volved…" said Joe, he couldn't believe his eyes.**_

"_**Angemon?"**__**exclaimed**__** Sora **__**impressed**__**And Matt was in the same state, "I can't believe it, it's T.K's digimon…"**_

"_**He looks like an angel…" murmured Mimi.**_

"_**Patamon digivolved!" shouted T.K.**_

"_**Damn it…I almost did it" said Devimon in defeat.**_

"_**I will take care of vanishing your powers of Darkness" said Angemon, he raised his staff and shouted "I call for all Sacred Power come to me!"**_

_**The Light of the **__**Digivices wrapped Angemon, and Devimon stared in fear, "No...What are you going to do?!"**_

_**The digimon started to de-evolve. Devimon covered his face with his arm, "Stop it, if you keep doing that, don't think you will live enough to tell!"**_

_**Angemon,**__**with his raised staff, swing it around while the Light of Hope shone in him, "This is the only way I have left…And I don't care if I have to sacrifice my own life!"**_

"_**Angemon!" shouted little T.K.**_

"_**Devimon, you made the powers of darkness grow without limit…That's why my duty is to destroy you!" shouted the Angel, while he got in battle position.**_

"_**I won't allow it!", Ogremon flew towards Angemon with the speed of a bullet, but he hit the staff of Angemon and returned to Devimon's chest, "He defeated me!"**_

_**Devimon**__**looked with shock and murmured, "I'm doomed…"**_

"_**Angemon!"**__**T.K. shouted again, and Angemon turned to see him, "I'm sorry T.K." said the angel with the sweetest voice.**_

"_**I will crush you with my own hands!" shouted Devimon and tried to attack Angemon, but he stood his ground…**_

"_**Hand of Faith!"**_

_**A bright Light **__**wrapped all File Island, and in the end, Angemon and Devimon were fading away…**_

"_**You are a fool. **__**Angemon, you made a big mistake using all your powers, remember that the powers of darkness are not only in File Island. There are digimon far stronger than me and they are beyond the sea. Soon the day of your death will come…and Evil shall rule forever!" Those were the last words of Devimon, leaving just the echo of his laugher.**_

"_**Angemon…" the small blond kid whispered with tears in his eyes.**_

_**The angel looked at him and smiled, "T.K., we**__** will see each other again…if that's what you wish", he smiled and disappeared.**_

"_**Angemon!"**_

* * *

The echo of that shout filled Takeru's heart with pain, and he shed a tear. 

"You okay?" asked little T.K, concerned. Takeru dried his tears and nodded. T.K., not at all convinced, stood up and walked to him, "Please don't cry".

Takeru looked away, and coldly said, "I'm not crying"

T.K. didn't know what to do, so he sat on the grass again and looked down with a sad look, "You know, when Angemon died I felt so lost, but somehow I knew that somehow…he would come back to me…and he did"

Then Takeru realized something, what T.K. said was truth._ He is right, Angemon was reconfigured; he is here with me. But then…Why the memory of his death still haunts me? _

Takeru turned to the little kid, "T.K., you don't have nightmares because of the death of your friend?" T.K. shock his head, "No, I used to, but every time I woke up in fear, my friends were there for me, to console me, specially my big brother"

_M__y brother__…_

"Is it that you have nightmares about your friend's loss?" asked the little angel, and Takeru looked to the darkened sky, which frightened him more every passing second.

"Yes, many times, but when I was little, for some reason they stopped but now…they haunt me more" Takeru couldn't stop the tears that ran down his cheeks. _Maybe they don't stop now because there is no one left to console me…_

Little T.K. stood up and put his hand over Takeru's chest. The little kid gasped in surprise and jerked away from the teen, walking backwards.

Takeru, confused, looked at him, "What's wrong?" The little kid just stared at him sadly, "Your heart is cold, and beats so slow…there is a lot of pain within you"

_Takeru __was stunned__Did he manager to find out just by feeling my heartbeats? Is it true that my heart is __cold?_ Then the little on got closer to him and stared for a few seconds.

"When you have nightmares…is there no one for you?" asked the little kid innocently, and Takeru was silent for an instant "No…"

_Wait, that's not true,__ I have my friends and my family… Then why is this pain still haunting me? This pain that runs __in__my veins like venom_

"I lied…there are a lot of people there for me…but for some reason…they warm don't reach me" Said the teen sadly, he shifted his position, giving his back to his younger counterpart.

T.K. watched him sadly, "Please, don't be sad"

Takeru manager to stop crying and talked, "Years ago my friends and I fought with a vampire monster, I was so scared watching how everyone fought and destroyed…then I realized how powerful is the Darkness in this world…in all worlds"

T.K. looked at him confused, "You know, that sounds like when my friends and I fought the evil Myotismon, who was a very evil digimon, I was really scared too…we even lost another friend"

_Wizardmon__…_

"…but I know he will come back like Angemon did. And when everything seemed lost. A miracle happened! Two angels, Angewomon y Angemon, shoot arrows of Light and Hope, and because of that we won…thanks to the power of Light and Hope!"

Takeru was in shock. _How can he be so Hopeful? Wizardmon died…We all almost died and hi still thinks the world is pink color!_

"How can so look the world so wonderful when you've seen all horrible things?" asked Takeru to little T.K.

The child looked at him with a happy expression, "Because the world's is beautiful if you look at it's bright side, even if bad stuff happens, that doesn't means the world is bad!"

Takeru wanted to listen no more, everything T.K. said was absurd. _He's seen and lived horrible things…and he still thinks the world is beautiful! __How can he do it?!_

"Is there something that has shown you how cruel the world is?" asked Takeru. T.K. nodded, sadly. "Yes...when my brother fought against my friend Tai…I almost lose them both…"

_Puppetmon…Cherrymon…_

* * *

"_**Brother…" said little T.K. **_

"_**Don't do bad jokes Matt, were all supposed to be friends!" scolded Joe. **_

"_**Friends?" said Matt coldly**_

"_**Yes, friends, don't you remember? We all are the Chosen Children" Joe scolded again.**_

"_**Then I'm going to ask you**__**Do you know who was the one who chose us to come here? If you don't know then with which right you say this?!" exclaimed Matt enraged. **_

"_**There is no use to try to convince him, Matt is that class of jerks" said Tai, annoyed.**_

"_**You called me jerk? And who are you to judge me?!" shouted Matt with poison in his voice.**_

"_**Of course, it's just that you feel humiliated, and that is because no one respects your ideas" said Tai to him.**_

"_**Ahh, you must me a wonderful boy, how pity" said Matt sarcastically and continued, "I don't know what class of kid I am…but you know, don't you, after all you're an expert"**_

"_**Stop fighting, please guys" Sora interfered. **_

"_**Don't say that to me Sora, it was Matt who started to assault us" said Tai and walked away "I'm not fighting with a jerk like him" **_

"_**You're so mature Tai" said Agumon, following his partner.**_

"_**I' won't let you go!" said MetalGarurumon and blocked their way.**_

_**Tai,**__**enraged, turned to the blond "Stop bothering, Matt!"**_

"_**Fight me!"**_

"_**I won't fight you, it's clear you don't want to understand"**_

"_**You're the ones who don't understand!" MetalGarurumon prepared the attack.**_

"_**Step back, Tai" said Agumon,**_

"_**Agumon WarpDigivolves to**__**…WarGreymon!"**_

* * *

Takeru had had enough. _This is pointless! Why I am remembering everything that kills me?! _"Stop it!" He shouted, trying to stop the falling tears. 

T.K. was a bit scared because of Takeru's behavior. With a tiny voice he asked, "Are you okay?"

Takeru was still hysteric "You don't get it! You don't know how the world really is! You think is pink color, but it isn't!"

"You don't know what it is to fight the nightmare of the past, brought back to life…you don't know the darkness in the heart of the world…you don't know what it is to face the demons of the past once again…"

* * *

"_**Devimon",**__**whispered Takeru, four years older, he had an expression of surprise and anger.**_

_**T.K.**__**watched in shock, how in the screen in the base of the Digimon Emperor appeared the image of the digimon that tormented him. Flashbacks of Angemon sacrificing himself to save him from Devimon began flashing in his eyes.**_

'_**At that moment... **__**I desperately wished that time would go backwards… but time never goes backwards…like it or not we have to face reality…I was so desperate that I didn't stopped cursing destiny' thought Takeru and took his fisherman hat form his head, A great wave of rage took over him. 'And you…without knowing anything…without understanding anything…but how you dare?!'**_

_**Takeru**__**threw his hat to the floor. **_

"_**T.K.?" whispered Cody, watching the rage in Takeru's eyes.**_

"_**It's enough, I can't leave it like that…I have to finish this!"**__**Shouted Takeru and walked through the hall.**_

"_**Where are you going?" asked Cody**_

"_**T.K. wait for me!" exclaimed Patamon and followed him.**_

_**Takeru didn't stopped and continued his way to the Digimon Emperor. As much as Patamon tried to convince him to go back and help freeing the digimon, Takeru didn't listened. He walked a long road until he finally found him.**_

_**Ken Ichijouji, AKA the Digimon Emperor, walked towards him. "You must have a lot of courage; I never thought somebody would dare to enter the fortress of the Digimon Emperor…The one who controls Darkness!"**_

_**Takeru**__**looked him for a moment, after a second, he started to laugh, which angered the Digimon Emperor. **__**"What are you laughing at?!" **_

_**Takeru**__**smiled at him, a smile that showed rage and sarcasm, "Tell me Ichijouji, how long have you been playing conquer the world? **__**Are you having fun? **__**Whatever, about that power of Darkness that you've been talking about you have no idea, Do you? You should grow up a bit"**_

_**The Digimon Emperor frowned in rage.**__** "You are worthless! Worthless! Worthless! Worthless! Worthless! Worthless!"**_

_**Takeru smiled cynically, "Oh, it's all you know how to say?" **_

_**The Emperor was furious, "Shut up you idi**__**ot!" And hit him with his whip. **_

_**Takeru**__**rubbed the bloody wound and looked at the blood in his fingers, he smiled again, "So, you insult first, then you use violence"**_

_**The Digimon Emperor stepped back in fear "That's **__**not true…" **_

"_**It's not, really?" with a face of numbness he said, "Well, I really don't care. **__**So, tell me…are you done? **__**Well then…" his smile turned into a face of rage and venom, "It's my turn!" **_

_**And Takeru punched him in the face. **_

* * *

T.K. looked at him surprised, "And then you hit him?" 

Takeru nodded, gritting his teeth, turning away…with tears on his eye, "You don't know what it is to have to fight the ghosts of the past…they don't leave you alone…they haunt you for life" Then he turned to the little kid, "That's why the world is so horrible…"

T.K. shock his head, "Do you realize what you've been doing?". Takeru looked at him confused, "Pardon?"

T.K. still observed him, "You've been trying to convince me that the world is evil…but I think that what you've been doing is try to convince yourself that the world is evil"

Takeru looked at him, and he realized that what the little kid said was true. _He is right… what I've been trying to do is convince myself that the world is dark…But why? _

"Don't you get it?", asked little T.K., and Takeru looked at him confused, "Get what?" .

T.K. looked to the dark sky, "What you want is convince yourself that the world do is bad because then you will have a reason to be sad and drift away from the world…and you know why you want to drift away?"

Takeru turned his head up and watched the dark sky, with tears in his eyes he nodded, "Yes…because if I drift away from my friends…I won't be afraid to lose them…just how I lost my angel…and almost lost my brother and my best friend" he said, referring to Kari.

"May I ask you something?" asked the little kid, and silently, Takeru nodded. T.K. took his hand, "When was the last time you hugged somebody?"

_I don't know…I don't remember hugging __anybody in a long time. _Takerukept staring to the sky, "I don't know…I don't remember feeling the warm of a hug since a long time ago."

Then, T.K. hugged him, tight. Takeru was surprised by the acctions of the little one, but he felt an amazing inside heat. He couldn't stand any longer and finally broke crying.

T.K. looked at him without letting go, "Don't be afraid of losing your friends…you won't lose them…and don't be afraid of the world and don't think it's evil, but good and wonderful"

Takeru started to recall those good moments he spend with his family and friends. How Matt used to cradle him when he was younger, the Light he felt when he saw Angemon for first time, all the good moments he spend with his friends. His heart started to de-froze.

All those sad moments of pain started show a bright side. He realized that even if Angemon died, he returned. Even if Tai and Matt fought each other, that made them the best friends. Even if Ken did a lot of bad stuff, he was purified. _It's true…what he says it's true…How fool I have been!_

Takeru took T.K. in his arms and lifted him up, carrying him in his chest, and looked at his eyes. T.K.'s face was angelical, his eyes full of innocence, shining the light of Hope. _If he is me…then I was that innocent, once…but it doesn't have to be "once"…it can be now and forever!_

His soul started to warm up, and his perspective of the world started to turn from sad to happy. _T.K.'s right, the World IS beautiful…_

Takeru started to cry again, but tears of happiness, and he was laughing at the same time. He looked to T.K. in his arms, who hugged him gently. "Oh T.K., thanks for making me see the truth. You're right; the world is beautiful and full of Light, a Light that shines even in Darkness"

Both of them looked into the sky, the dark clouds of Darkness started to disappear, and they were replaced by a bright blue sky with white clouds and a shining sun. The flowers were as beautiful as ever, and a fresh wind blew. The cold that covered Takeru was gone, there was only warm now.

Both of them started to laugh from happiness, and Takeru looked to the kid in his arms, "Oh, T.K., you're a little angel. Thanks to you now I see the World as I did when I was your age, full of Light and Love, no matter what"

The little one smiled at him, "In that case, you're an angel too, after all, we are one and the same"

"You knew?" asked the teenager surprised that the kid knew the truth all along.

"Yup, my duty was to get back your innocence…_**our**_innocence" said the kid cheerful.

Takeru smiled and hugged him again, "Now I know what people mean when they say we have to hug our "inner child"" he said, and both of them started to laugh again.

Takeru lowered little T.K. and took his hand. Both of them felt a warm breeze on their face, and the warmth of the sun that lit their hearts and souls. The blond hair of little T.K. shone with the sun.

Then Takeru looked at T.K. with a confused expression, but happy nevertheless, "But, if we aren't in the DigiWorld nor the Dark World, Where are we?"

The little kid looked up and smiled at him, "Haven't you realized yet?". Takeru shock his head and T.K. gave him a warm smile, "We are in your _**Heart**_"

Then the whole field started to shine, and Takeru realized he was starting to levitate and drifting away from little T.K., "No…Wait…Don't go!"

Yet, the little one saw how Takeru floated towards the sky, "I won't go anywhere…I live inside you, and if you always keep your innocence, then I will be always here. Remember the World is beautiful and wonderful, embrace life and your loved ones, don't give in to the Dark…Always be happy!"

Takeru saw how the little kid disappeared while he drifted away, he shouted with all he's got, "I promise you T.K.!" And with that, Light blinded him and he disappeared from the field.

* * *

Takeru woke up. Still wearing last night's clothes. As he opened his eyes, he saw the bright rays of sun trespass his window, and he heard the singing of the birds, groggily he got out of bed. _Is it morning already? Was it all a dream?...No, it wasn't…It was real I know that!_

He walked towards the window. The city was active once again, he saw a few kids playing in the park nearby, and then he smiled.

…_How beautiful is the innocence of children…_

…_How beautiful is the World…_

…_How beautiful is to live…_

Takeru heard someone knocking on the door, and turned to the door; slowly he walked and opened it. Before him was his older brother, Matt, who looked at him with a worried expression in his face.

"T.K., before you close the door before my nose, listen to me. We're all worried about your recent attitude, we miss the old T.K., how you used to be, and we were thinking that…"

However, Matt couldn't finish as T.K. hugged him tight, "I love you Matt"

Matt was astonished, it's been a long time since T.K. hugged him, yet he returned the hug and smiled, "I love you too, squirt"

"What's going on here?" asked Patamon and Nancy in unison, getting in T.K.'s room. The boy looked at them and hugged his mom. "Oh mom! Patamon! Sorry for acting like a jerk, I really love you and I'm sorry about how I treated you."

Both of them, astonished, smiled "Wow, T.K., that's some change! We love you too, a lot" said Patamon. Then T.K. ran towards the phone, "I got to call Kari!"

"Hello, Kari?" It's T.K, of course I would love to hang out with you guys!" said T.K., smiling. Matt and Patamon started at him astonished because of T.K's sudden change, but a smile was drawn in their face. _I guess he's still the same hopeful kid after all…_

Alter that night, T.K. started to hang out with his friends more, he spent time with his mom, and constantly visited his father and his brother. He stopped wearing black all the time and he returned to his bright and colorful clothes. But most important is that he was always cheerful and saw the bright side of things, and it didn't mattered if eh was fifteen or fifty; he always kept_**innocence**_ in his soul.

Just as he promised little T.K.

_**Fin**_


End file.
